


Table for Two

by quinnlocke



Series: Recipes for Love and Disaster [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Kisses, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mild Angst, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 17:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11131674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quinnlocke/pseuds/quinnlocke
Summary: “Oh fuck,” Kuroo muttered to himself as he took in the sight: Kenma dead asleep next to him, curled into his shoulder like it was the most natural place for him to be. In ten seconds he went from being Kuroo’s friend, to someone Kuroo definitely was thinking of in a very non-platonic manner. “God damn it.”The sequel to It's All in the Pairing





	Table for Two

“Oh fuck,” Kuroo muttered to himself as he took in the sight: Kenma dead asleep next to him, curled into his shoulder like it was the most natural place for him to be. In ten seconds he went from being Kuroo’s friend, to someone Kuroo definitely was thinking of in a very non-platonic manner. “God damn it.”

Liking Kenma was not an option. In fact, it was definitely something that was not allowed to happen. Kuroo did not do well when he liked someone, because then he dated them and then they left. Because Kuroo didn’t know how to be in relationships. Hadn’t had a successful one since he and his college boyfriend parted ways after graduation. Tyler had begged him to stay in California, to stay with him. But Kuroo had to say no. California had been home once, but Seattle was where he belonged, with his mother and Bokuto and the future _soon to be named_ restaurant they had been planning for years.

Saying he didn’t know how to be in relationships was a bald-faced lie; he did relationships just fine. It was putting the relationship on the same level as everything else that he failed at. The relationships he’d tried since returning to Seattle bore the full brunt of the evidence. 

He and Sasha had connected on an intellectual level, and they never seemed to be without things to talk about. They’d ended after four months because when Sasha mentioned she had been offered a transfer to Chicago, Kuroo hadn’t even thought to ask her to stay. Fukuro-Neko was in its early stages of planning, and he had been too distracted to even ponder the idea. They kept in touch, she’d met someone and hinted to him things were progressing in the marital direction.

Yuji Terushima had been the first relationship he’d attempted after his mother died. They didn’t talk much, but the sex more than made up for it. Yuji was a DJ, and his odd schedule didn’t allow much time for them. They made it work for close to six months, though, until Yuji’d gotten a regular nine-to-five working for a record studio doing sound mixing. His new schedule left him more time that Kuroo was never able to fill. The restaurant always needed his attention—the attention that Yuji eventually found elsewhere. Kuroo knew he should have been angry to see the marks on Yuji’s neck the night they finally ended things. Yuji had sworn up and down it hadn’t gone any further than kissing and a bit of groping, but he also said he knew the fact that he didn’t feel guilty spoke volumes about where their relationship stood. They didn’t stay in touch.

The worst one, though, would have to be Alisa Haiba. The first sign that this was a bad idea was that she was related to one of his employees, but it was hard to not go after her. She’d teased and flirted with him every time she’d drop her brother Lev off for his shift. Eventually she convinced Kuroo to take an afternoon off and have coffee with her. Their date lasted all of thirty minutes. Kuroo’d gotten a call about something minor at the restaurant. He could have easily passed it off to Kai, but he left Alisa at a cafe and ran off to tend to a case of missing oranges—which were simply put on the wrong shelf of the walk-in. Alisa had not taken being ditched over oranges well, and refused to answer any of Kuroo’s calls. Lev conveniently received an electric scooter from her as a birthday present so he didn’t need a ride anymore.

Kuroo knew he shouldn’t count Alisa as an actual relationship, but the fact that his insistence to address every need that arose in his restaurant had abruptly ended any chance they’d had is why he used it as an example. A reminder why he didn’t do relationships. The restaurant needed him more than anyone else ever would. Fukuro-Neko wouldn’t exist without the help that his mother had given him; it was her legacy he was keeping alive, why couldn’t anyone see that?

Kenma never asked for more than what Kuroo could give. He was his friend, the closest one he’d had since he’d met Bokuto. Kenma was fun to be around, quick witted, and easy to lose time with. Why did he have to go and ruin that by developing _feelings?_

It all started when he’d taken Kenma up on his offer to come by and cook for him again. Kuroo had Tuesdays off and usually spent them at home, watching whatever he’d remembered to DVR (which wasn’t much), catching up with social media, and tending to the minimal chores that arose in an apartment whose sole resident barely inhabited it. Instead he’d spent that Tuesday night making Kenma grilled mackerel, roasted potatoes, and steamed asparagus. Kenma provided dessert in the form of apple pie gelato, which had prompted Kuroo to inspect the freezer.

“How many different kinds of apple ice cream do you have in here?”

“Only three kinds,” Kenma replied with a shrug. “I can’t seem to find the Talenti version anymore.”

“Did you ever think you might have eaten all of it? You have apple mochi too!”

“I told you I was weak for it.”

“There’s weak and then there’s this addiction you seem to have developed. I am going to make it my mission to introduce you to other desserts.”

Kenma made a face and rolled his eyes. “Like I’m going to say no to free food.”

“Is that all I am to you?” Kuroo said with a fake pout.

“No, you’re also an easy target,” Kenma said, throwing a dish towel at Kuroo’s face.

“You wound me, Kitten.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll hit harder next time.”

And so it went on from there; Kuroo spent his Tuesday nights either at Kenma’s place or with Kenma at his own. Kenma insisted they order out occasionally, stating he felt bad for making Kuroo work on his day off. Occasionally they'd venture out to a restaurant, though Kenma always declined the offer to go to Fukuro-Neko, said he'd feel like he was taking advantage. For four months this went on, and Kuroo found himself actually looking forward to Tuesdays. He also enjoyed the random evenings and afternoons when his and Kenma’s schedules aligned.

But all things change, and Kuroo should have realized he was doomed from the moment his phone had chirped at him earlier that evening. It was a Sunday, so Bokuto had left once the lunch rush had cleared and Kai was running the front. Kuroo was sitting at the bar rereading the wine ordering list because he was positive he’d missed a bottle of some version of Merlot… or he was avoiding going home, take your pick.

**Kenma Kitten __**_5:56pm_

Your friend and my friend just made my apartment uninhabitable.Tell me you are home.

**Kuroo __**_5:58pm_

I’m not

**Kuroo __**_5:59pm_

But I can be

**Kenma Kitten __**_6:00pm_

You’re at work I’m sorry, I should have known

**Kuroo __**_6:03pm_

No it's fine really, it's actually my assistant managers shift right now. I can leave. Actually, you gotta pass by to get to my place. Have dinner with me here. 

**Kenma Kitten __**_6:05pm_

Will that be weird for you? 

**Kuroo __**_6:07pm_

Isn't the first time i’ve eaten in my own restaurant, will just be the first time I eat in the dining room and not my office

**Kenma Kitten __**_6:09pm_

Idk if I am dressed for it

**Kuroo __**_6:11pm_

What are you wearing kitten? ;)

**Kenma __**_6:13pm_

I can't find the emoji but just know I am rolling my eyes as I type this. I’m down the street, meet me at the corner and I’ll let you determine if I’m dressed for your place.

For someone who’d had to unexpectedly leave his apartment Kenma was put together quite nicely. Black skinny jeans, red v-neck with a pinstripe button up, the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a grey Half Life hoodie wrapped around his waist. He had his face buried in his phone and only looked up when he heard Kuroo call out to him. 

“We match,” Kuroo said with a laugh. Kenma eyed his outfit and then his own. Kuroo was in his usual work attire: black dress pants, a red button up, and black and grey striped tie. He’d left the suit jacket in his office.

“Perhaps, but red is definitely more my color.”

“I’m not denying. I like the look.”

“Shut up, I didn’t dress up for you. I didn’t even know Bokuto was coming over, though Keiji insists he told me.”

“I’m pretty sure he did, you were just too busy being buried in whatever it is you are playing now.”

“Replaying Portal 2 for an article; I do actually have to game to make my living.”

“No, no, no I totally get it. You just keep feeding that unhealthy hobby of yours and I’ll be here when you collapse from starvation,” Kuroo said, putting a friendly arm over Kenma’s shoulders. 

“You’re one to talk,” he retorted, pocketing his phone. “Last I checked, you only have one day off a week and I know you show up early and stay late for your shifts.

“You discovered my secret, I’m a workaholic. Tell me, is it too late for me? Will there be an intervention?” Kuroo exclaimed in mock shame.

“You’re an idiot,” Kenma said, shaking his head. “So this is it?”

“This is my pride and joy,” he said, puffing out his chest just a bit. Kenma looked up at the black awning with the bright white print. _Fukuro-Neko Grill._

“If you tell me to order anything but the apple tarts for dessert, I will stab you with my fork,” Kenma said dryly, trying not to blush at the ridiculously horrible laugh his statement caused Kuroo to have.

Hitoka Yachi was arguably one of Kuroo’s best servers. A little nervous at times, especially around him and Bokuto, but nevertheless incredibly capable. He dreaded the day she finished with college and would move on to better and brighter things. She walked up to their table with her back straight and her chin held high—after giving herself a pep talk in the back room, Kuroo was 100% positive of it.

“Good evening and welcome to Fukuro-Neko Grill, I am Hitoka and I will be taking care of you. May I start you with a crafted cocktail or a glass of wine from our extensive collection?”

Kuroo grinned and looked to Kenma. “You first, Kitten.”

Kenma’s eyes widened for a moment and he fixed Kuroo with a look that screamed _‘Can you not?_ ’ Yachi’s ears turned pink at the term of affection and Kuroo found himself holding back laughter. 

“I’ve never been much of a drinker,” Kenma noted, looking over the drink list. “I like sweet things with a hint of tang to them. Something I can enjoy over the course of my meal that won’t affect the taste of things I eat too much. What do you recommend?”

Kuroo watched with pride as Yachi pointed out several cocktails on the list that matched Kenma’s specifications. In the end she’d gotten him to order a Moscow Mule and Kuroo said he’d have the same. 

“You should watch the bar,” Kuroo told him, and they turned their attention to the tall silver-haired boy manning the bar.

Lev Haiba, the brother of Kuroo’s last failed venture into dating. He had started as a busboy—a very clumsy bus boy. Kuroo never fully was able to calculate just how much money Lev had cost him in broken plates. He’d almost considered moving him to the kitchen, but Bokuto refused to have him. Kuroo had been at a loss for what to do with him until one night Lev let slip that he’d had some experience bartending. Somehow the kid who couldn’t carry more than five plates without stumbling could work the bar like it was a musical instrument. The boy was a natural performer. He could toss bottles with ease, pour multiple shots at once, and even modified a few cocktails on the menu that caused their sales to skyrocket. He was currently spinning a bottle of vodka in his hands and nodded to Kuroo and Kenma with a smile as he filled the copper mugs in front of him with their drinks.

“I’m impressed,” Kenma noted, watching Lev. “You have a really great place.”

Kuroo beamed with pride and Kenma muttered something about not taking things the wrong way. They’d ended up ordering almost every appetizer on the menu. Kuroo caught Konoha popping his head out of the kitchen to gape at their table. In fact, he’d caught several of his staff members staring at him as he ate with Kenma. It didn’t occur to him until later in the evening why their looks had seemed so… strange.

Sometime during dinner he heard the unmistakable sound of a crash coming from the kitchen. Kenma had been in the middle of a story and paused. “Do you want to go see what that was?”

Kuroo thought about it for a moment. He knew whatever it was, Kai could handle it. He’d trained him personally. The part of him that wanted to run and see what was wrong was overpowered by the part that genuinely enjoyed the time he was spending with Kenma and didn’t want to see it interrupted. “Nah, I trust my guys to handle things. So you were in the tree hiding from your cousins?”

Kenma smiled and continued on with the story of how he’d managed to get on the local news when he was stuck in a tree when he was eight.

Kai came by later to inform him it had just been one of the dishwashers dropping a stock pot that had been filled with soapy water. Nothing to be concerned about. Kuroo told him that he had no doubts that Kai would handle the situation and noted the look of pride on the other man's face.

“You’re a great boss,” Kenma noted. “They all really seem to love you.”

“I try, I’ve worked really hard to make this place what it is.”

“It shows,” Kenma said before adding quietly: “I think your mother would have been very proud.”

Kuroo choked on his water and Kenma looked down at the table, his cheeks turning pink. “Thank you, that… that is what I strive for.”

“I think you succeeded.”

Dessert would be the hammer that delivered the final swing of doom. Kuroo isn't sure what made him suddenly remember the minor detail, only that without it Kenma never would have ended up at his place that night. 

“You know, I think Bokuto is off the next three days. His apartment is being fumigated.”

Kenma’s shoulders dropped and he looked ready to fall apart momentarily. “Fuck…”

“Let me guess, Akaashi warned you of this?”

Kenma nodded solemnly. “He told me about this two weeks ago it just completely slipped my mind. That’s why he kept asking me today if I had plans. Because I had told him I’d be ok with leaving for a few days so they could be alone. Damn it.”

“You can… you can crash with me. I’ll even give you the bed, won’t be the first time I’ve slept on my couch. Hell, I bought it because it was comfy enough to sleep on.”

“I’ll take the couch, it's fine,” Kenma insisted. “I just don’t have any clothes and I can’t believe I forgot about this.”

“Happens to the best of us. I’ve got something for you to wear for tonight. Just shoot Akaashi a message, tell him you’re gonna come by tomorrow for your stuff, and crash with me till Wednesday.”

“I’m not putting you out?”

“Not at all. I work a double on Monday so I won’t even be there. Tuesday is my day off, as you know, so if anything I’ll treat you to breakfast, lunch, _and_ dinner.”

Kenma pursed his lips together and thought about it for a moment. “All right, but the lunch will have to be something I take with me. My editor wants everyone in the office on Tuesday.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll just have to find something to do with myself then.”

“You’ve managed just fine for four years; I am sure you will survive.”

Dessert came and went and soon Kuroo found himself in his own living room, scrolling through Netflix looking for something they could both enjoy.

“See, this is why I hate borrowing clothes from people. You literally only have seven inches on me, and yet this shirt is practically a dress on me,” Kenma muttered, coming out of the bathroom wearing a pair of Kuroo’s gym shorts and a t-shirt, though the shorts were barely visible.

“I’ve got a lot of torso to cover,” Kuroo responded with a laugh. 

“You’ve got a lot of everything to cover, you beanpole.”

“I am both blessed and cursed by this lovely physique of mine,” Kuroo said, gesturing to his long legs and back up to his chest. “I know some ladies who would die to have legs like these.”

“I’m one of the tallest at my job,” Kenma pointedly remarked as he flopped down on the couch next to Kuroo. “Nishinoya writes our sports column and he’s only five foot four, and most of those four inches are made up by his hair. It’s worse than yours.”

Kuroo stared at him with wide-mouthed dismay. “Hair? You dare insult my hair when you’ve got close to three inches of black roots showing? You look like a damn pudding.”

“My indifference to my appearance is part of my aesthetic.”

Kuroo bit back laughter that dissolved into giggles as Kenma prodded him in the side over and over again. “No! Stop, you’ve found my weakness!”

Kenma laughed and gave Kuroo one final pinch before relenting. “I’m using that to my advantage in the future.”

Kuroo glared while catching his breath. “You’re an evil one, you know that Kitten?”

Kenma’s only response was a grin and quick raise of the eyebrows. Kuroo pointedly looked away and resumed scrolling through his Netflix queue. They’d finally settled on a food documentary that Kuroo kept meaning to watch and Kenma said he found interesting. Halfway through the show, Kuroo heard the sound of soft snoring and looked down…

“Oh fuck.”

And thus Kuroo found himself absolutely struck with _feelings._

Somewhere in the middle of his crisis he’d managed to get up and acquire a pillow and blanket for Kenma. He’d attempted to wake him up but it seemed Kenma was done for the night and no amount of prodding would awaken him. So Kuroo, with shaking hands, managed to prop the pillow under Kenma’s head and laid a blanket on top of him. He spent the night staring at the ceiling before falling into a restless sleep. 

Kuroo thanked whatever god existed that Kenma was still asleep when he woke up the next morning. He was not ready to face him, or his own feelings, which he still staunchly denied existed. He spent the first few hours at work in a half daze, drinking the same cup of coffee and hardly realizing it had gone cold.

“Kuroo.” Yamaguchi stepped into the office. The white chef coat he wore fit him far better than the service uniform ever did. “Chef Konoha asked me to bring you the inventory sheet for the produce order. We’ve, uhh, had to up our strawberry order again.”

Kuroo took the sheet and stared at it. It was only after he heard Yamaguchi clear his throat that he realized he hadn’t read a single word. “What’s the problem?” he asked.

“The strawberry order, we’ve had to double it in the last week. Konoha says he can’t figure out why.”

Kuroo stared at him blankly. “Strawberries?”

“Should I come back?”

“Maybe. Wait no, the bar,” Kuroo finally came to his senses. “The infusion cocktail Lev came up with. He’s got four five gallon jugs of strawberries and vodka in the walk in. that's why we had to order so much. Tell Konoha it's fine to go with the regular order for this week.”

“Ok good,” Yamaguchi said, taking the sheet back. “Kuroo, sir, are you alright?”

Kuroo looked up and did his best to appear as calm and collected as he wished he could be. “Perfectly fine. Could you ask Yachi to bring me a fresh cup of coffee, this one's gone cold.”

“Sir, it's Monday, Yachi has the day off. I’ll get you a fresh cup.”

“Yamaguchi, you are a treasure. I’m going to give Tsukishima a hug next time I see him, and tell him that yes, hiring you was a great idea.”

Yamaguchi turned a fierce shade of crimson and fled from Kuroo’s office so quickly he nearly walked into the door before opening it. Kuroo chuckled to himself; apparently he wasn’t the only one with a crush.

_No…_

Kuroo shook his head rapidly. No, this was not a crush. Nope, not happening. He had zero feelings for Kenma beyond the friendship they had developed. He was not about to ruin this for himself. Because if he said anything and Kenma reciprocated, there was nothing stopping them from having a relationship. It would be fine at first. They’d continue whatever it was they’d been doing, maybe add some more physicality to it.

_Stop that!_

Nope, not thinking about kissing Kenma. Because thinking about kissing Kenma meant acknowledging things could go further with Kenma, and there was no way to make that happen. Eventually Kenma would want more, wouldn’t he? And Kuroo wasn’t sure he could give more. In fact, he was pretty positive he was incapable of it. Soon Kenma would want more of the time Kuroo wasn’t able to give. Then they would grow apart, and eventually Kenma would leave, or find someone else, or just stop talking to him all together. He didn’t want that. So the best course of action was to simply deny he had feelings until they went away. Excellent plan Tetsurou, absolutely nothing wrong with it whatsoever.

Eventually he was able to lose himself within work, because that was always how he answered his problems: by simply ignoring them until something came along to distract him well enough to forget the even existed in the first place. He was doing well until the late afternoon when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

**Kenma Kitten __**_2:34pm_

I went back to my place to feed Shogun and grab some stuff and realized I don’t have a spare key to get back into your place.

**Kuroo __**_2:39pm_

Stop by Fukuro-Neko, I’ll give you my keys

He was back in his office looking over the expense report when the door opened and Kenma walked in with a duffle over his shoulder. Kuroo caught a glimpse of Komi and Konoha peeking around the corner as the door closed.

“Hey,” Kuroo said as casually as possible, handing over his keys. “You sleep well?”

“Yeah, thanks for the pillow and blanket. Did you tuck me in?”

Kuroo stammered for a moment. “You wouldn’t wake up to do it yourself and I, uh, figured I’d be kind.”

“Well thank you for that. What time will you be back?”

“Kitchen closes at nine on Mondays, and the bar shuts down at ten. I’m usually here for about an hour after that finishing up. So midnight maybe.”

Kenma nodded. “I’ll probably be asleep since I have to be in the office by nine tomorrow. Should I make you something?”

Kuroo felt something in his chest that he promptly shoved back down where it belonged. “I usually eat here. There’s some curry in the fridge and at least five meals in the freezer. Just pull one out let it defrost. They’re all labelled.”

“Convenient. Well thanks again for this. I uh, I don't have many friends Kuro. I don’t know if you’ve realized that.”

Kuroo stayed silent because he could tell it was taking a lot for Kenma to say what was on his mind. 

“So the fact that you seem to enjoy being friends with me, it's nice. So thanks for that. I am going to leave now and I will see you tomorrow evening most likely… bye.”

Kuroo watched Kenma leave, and realized only after he was gone that he’d been gripping the arms of his chair. He took a deep breath and cleared his head. Now he really needed to get rid of these feelings, because obviously Kenma was not going to reciprocate. He’d just announced how important it was to have Kuroo as a friend, and here Kuroo was thinking of changing that dynamic. 

He spent almost the entire afternoon hiding in his office, searching for flaws in every single inventory sheet and expense report he had. Konoha gave him a death glare when he found him searching the walk in for the extra mint he swore was on the order form. 

“I told you, we had that huge party on Friday where the featured drink was the Mojito. That's why we ordered extra in preparation!”

“But where are the blood oranges that are on here? Why did we order blood oranges?”

“For the duck a l'orange Bokuto made as the special on Saturday, you were here, you ate it!” Konoha exclaimed, throwing his arms up in frustration. “Kuroo what is going on with you? I mean, you’ve always micromanaged the shit out of this place but even this level of neurotic is too much coming from you.”

Kuroo took a deep breath and pressed a hand to his face. “I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot of shit on my mind and I was looking for an outlet.”

“Listen, I can easily close the place tonight. Mondays are slow. Komi needs more experience running the expo. I’ll take on your duties and Komi will run the kitchen. Go home to your boyfriend, maybe he can help you relax.”

Kuroo choked on his own breath and stared at Konoha wide-eyed. “Kenma’s… he’s… I...”

Konoha looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “You’re kidding me, right? Kuroo, I’ve known you for four years. I’ve seen you when you like someone. Why are you not dating him?”

“In those four years, have you seen me once have a successful relationship?”

“Well no,” Konoha started before being interrupted. 

“Exactly! I don’t do relationships. I’m not capable,” Kuroo countered. “The restaurant, it's my top priority.”

“The restaurant is my top priority too; Bokuto would say the same. Yet he’s got Akaashi and I’ve got Yukie. What's stopping you?”

“It never works out, Konoha. They always want more than I can give.”

Konoha sighed, an argument on the tip of his tongue. “Kuroo, I want you to go home. I am officially calling it. You called it for Bokuto when he needed some time. I’m calling it now for you. Go home. Kenma may not be your _boyfriend_ , but he is obviously your friend, and I think you could use that tonight. Go home, relax, come back on Wednesday with a clear head.”

Kuroo would love to say that going home gave him a clear head. That Kenma wasn’t at all distracting him by doing nothing more than existing in his apartment. But the truth was he was so distracted that Kenma had to be the one to point out that he was rubbing sugar all over the pork loin instead of salt.

“Fuck,” he said, grabbing the pork and hastily trying to scrub the sugar off. “I guess I’ll just have to change the sauce up for this. It will be fine, I’ve improvised under worse conditions.”

“You know, we could just order out. Or heat up one of those meals you’ve got in your freezer.”

“I like cooking, it clears my head.”

“Am I causing a problem by being here?” Kenma asked hesitantly, and Kuroo avoided looking at the worried gaze his friend was giving him.

“No, I just had a bit of a rough day at work. Hence why I'm home so early.”

Kenma opened his mouth to speak but relented at the last minute. “Alright, well I’ll be in the living room. Just… don't burn anything, okay?”

Kuroo scoffed and continued scrubbing away at the pork loin, wracking his brain for an idea to make his mistake work with the final product. An acrid smell filled the kitchen half an hour later, and he actively had to bite his own hand to avoid cursing out loud. He’s used vinegar to deglaze the pan instead of wine. He heard the sound of Kenma sighing from the next room and looked to the ceiling, praying to be struck down before he could make a further fool of himself.

The doorbell rang some time later and he went to answer it, hearing Kenma scramble to get up off the couch and sliding across the hardwood floor in his socks. “Wait!” he cried out, nearly colliding into Kuroo.

The door opened to reveal a delivery boy with pizza and a few other bags, one of which had the distinct aroma of garlic. Kuroo looked at Kenma in shock as he handed over a tip to the boy and signed off on the credit card slip. He followed Kenma into the kitchen with folded arms and a look of betrayal.

“I did this for our own good,” Kenma declared, facing Kuroo with his hands on his hips.

“I fail to see how ordering out when I am cooking is for either of our benefits.”

“Do you want to eat what you’ve made? Because the smell alone tells me you did something wrong… again.”

“It’s supposed to smell like that.”

“Really? It’s supposed to smell like rotten pickles?”

“That's,” Kuroo began before clenching a fist and smacking a hand into his forehead. “I can’t do this. I’m a fucking mess and trying to ignore it is seriously fucking with my head.”

“Ignoring what? Talk to me Kuro, please,” Kenma begged, wringing his hands in frustration. “You’ve been a mess all day, what is going on?”

“I like you,” Kuroo exclaimed. “I really fucking like you. And that's not good. Because this, this friendship means a lot to me. You… you fill a space I didn’t know needed filling. I don’t want to lose you because I got stupid after you fell asleep on me.”

“So this started last night?”

“Maybe,” Kuroo said with a shrug. “It could have been there longer and I didn’t know. I just, I tried to forget it ok. I tried to remind myself that it wouldn’t work and that losing you would really suck. Maybe I just need some time to get my head together. Maybe we need some space or something.”

“Why wouldn’t it work?” Kenma asked, inching closer to him. “I don’t want you to go away.”

“I spend all my time at the restaurant Kenma. You’ve seen what I’m like. That’s not going to change.”

“I haven’t asked you to change, have I? I like the the time I have with you. It’s… it’s nice.”

“You’re going to want more.”

“You don’t know that.”

Kuroo slumped and let his chin drop to his chest. “I don’t know how to do this, Kenma. I never learned how to balance things.”

Kenma pressed his hand hesitantly against Kuroo’s arm, and bent down to look up at him through the fringe of Kuroo’s hair. “I don’t mind that you put yourself into your work. You wouldn’t be who you are if you didn’t. I’ve been thinking that I’d like to kiss you. I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

Their eyes met, and Kuroo slowly lifted his head. Kenma paused for a moment, brushing a wayward strand of hair behind his ear. “I really enjoy the time I have with you Kuroo. I don’t expect you to change that just because things might change between us. I like this, I like you.”

Kenma palmed Kuroo’s cheek and Kuroo leaned into the touch. He brought his hand up to cover Kenma’s and closed his eyes. “I think I might have felt something before last night. I was just too oblivious to notice.”

Kenma laughed softly before clutching Kuroo’s chin and bringing his face closer to his own. “You’ll just have to make it up to me somehow. Starting with this.”

Kuroo’s mind harkened back to that first hug he shared with Kenma, how the word transcendent crossed his mind. If hugging Kenma was transcendent, he was going to need an even better word to describe kissing him. His lips were soft and tasted like the honey lip balm he used. His tongue slid delicately across his lips before his teeth gently nipped at Kuroo’s bottom lip. Kenma groaned softly when Kuroo’s hand moved to wrap around his waist and he pulled him flush against him. 

The timer on the oven was the only thing that managed to pull them out of the stupor that was kissing one another. Kuroo laughed and pressed a kiss against Kenma’s forehead before pulling away to tend to the disaster that was the pork loin in the oven. They both stared at it with mixed expressions of disdain before Kuroo tossed the whole thing in the trash. 

“Pizza,” Kenma stated with a smile and Kuroo nodded with a chuckle.

“Very good idea.”

“Ordering pizza was the second best idea I had today.”

“Yeah? What was the first?”

“Kissing you.”

Kuroo smiled and pulled Kenma to him, he lifted his chin and lightly kissed his lips. “I don’t want to mess this up.”

“You think I do? You’re not the only one who's nervous, Kuro. I don’t want this to get screwed up either. But now that I’ve kissed you, I’m not going to be able to stop.”

“Yeah?”

Kenma nodded wordlessly and let himself be pulled into an embrace. Kuroo buried his face into Kenma’s shoulder while the latter stroked the back of his head. A distinct rumbling in Kuroo’s stomach brought their attention back to the food that sat on the kitchen table.

“Okay, food first, then we explore this kissing thing on my couch some more.”

Kenma nodded and pressed one last kiss to Kuroo’s jaw. “So long as when I fall asleep, this time you tuck me into your bed instead of having a crisis.”

“Oh trust me Kitten, I am snuggling the hell out of you tonight.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in a day. 
> 
> I literally sat down to write something entirely different and I suddenly had the thought of Kuroo having a crisis over seeing Kenma curled up and sleeping.
> 
> Thus the entirety of this fic was born and then sat in my docs for nearly a month. Mostly because I hadn't finished the Bokuaka part of the series and that needed to be published first.
> 
> A special shout out to verdigrisVagabond whose happiness at realizing who I was caused me to remember this fic existed in my google docs. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Next in the series will either be a Yamaguchi centric fic, a Tensuga that occurs years before every thing else, or an Iwaoi that's been simmering in my head for a bit. My beta seems to be most enthusiastic about the Tensuga, but we shall see in time. 
> 
> Thanks as always for reading, kudo-ing and commenting. [Come bug me on Tumblr](http://quinnlocke.tumblr.com/)


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